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January 21, 2006

This is the cockpit of a yellow cab which I took a ride to go to the international airport. The upper color display shows the engine and motor status of the hybrid system. The power source changes automatically between a fuel engine and an electric motor at a dizzy speed. It is interesting to watch the change but it is useless because the system is hundred percent automatic and the driver has nothing to do to control the system. I think it is even dangerous because it has a possibility to distract the driver's attention. The lower monochrome display is a dispatching system which is much more useful. The drivers can receive a text message from the center to pick up passengers. They used to use radio calls but verbal communication is redundant and ambiguous. I wish someday the aviation radio call is replaced to this kind of text based system.

January 20, 2006

Vancouver is an artistic town and we can see quite a few art works here and there. Around the beach area where I am living, a series of iron objects were built last year. This round shaped iron columns are one of the most conspicuous works which is twice as tall as an adult. It looks like a part of ship hull or a huge barrel. The material is not stainless steel and is already rusted, which makes it look like cast ashore. Children often come together around this place and play with it trying to climb or push it in vain because it is too tall and too heavy.

January 19, 2006

When I was walking near my apartment in Downtown, I found something with white and black stripe moving slowly in the darkness. It was a creature different from a dog or a cat. It was a raccoon! As you know, Vancouver is a city surrounded with nature and it is natural to see wild animals in the town. We often see seagulls, geese, eagles, swans, squirrels, seals and so on, but I have to say it's rare to see a raccoon in the city, even in Vancouver. I have seen racoons in Stanley Park and I think one of them came into Downtown area. He is an adventurer raccoon opening up a new field to live in. He is so slow in motion that I'm worried that he will be hit by a car.

January 18, 2006

I almost died of smoking when I was a little child and I have never smoked since then. It means that I have smoked only once in my life. I hate smoke and even smokers come close to me. No smoking is a global trend and Vancouver is the most advanced city in this point. Smoking is completely banned in most buildings and we rarely see smokers in the town. Cigarettes are sold at more than $7 for just one package. I think this is the most effective way to reduce smokers. The price seems to be too high, however it is quite natural for smokers to be imposed so much because they cause harm to the public just like a factory which produces a lot of soot and smoke. I hope Japan adapt this high price of cigarettes.

January 17, 2006

If you can read Chinese characters, you must feel something spicy in your mouth while seeing this character on the instant noodle soup package. It's a character that means "red pepper." I don't like instant food so much but I sometimes have it because it's easy and rather tasty. Just by pouring a cup of hot water and waiting for three minutes, we can enjoy a cup of hot noodle soup. We can get various kinds of cup noodle in Vancouver which is made in Japan, China, Korea, and Thailand - some of them are good and others are not good in taste. I often choose this red package which is actually made in Korea because it's both tasty and cheap. I prefer the cups made in Japan but they are incredibly expensive - sometimes priced twice as high as the price in Japan.

January 16, 2006

I have a lot of boring things to do before going back to Japan in a few days. Packing for the travel is one of the most boring things. Finally I started packing. I'm planning to stay in Tokyo for about one month this time. Packing for one week travel is much easier because if I left something necessary I can stand for just one week. However, one month stay is rather long and I have to select what I really need and not. Furthermore I hear that the airline load weight was reduced last year. While I was doing this disgusting work I felt someone's eyes on my back and I turned around to see a seagull look at my behavior. He never understands my agony because he can fly wherever he likes with no bags. I envy him.

January 14, 2006

It was a beautiful day after the record long rainfall. A new Japanese student came to Vancouver to learn flight. Asked by my instructor, I showed him around the flight school. As he was a careful man, he wouldn't sign the application form until reading all the sentences on it. It took longer than I had expected and he took all the documents home. After that we went shopping necessities for the lesson with him. He bought a VTA chart, a flight computer, and a protractor. After having lunch together at Yaohan center, I drove him home. Showing around a new student is enjoyable because it recalls my experience and I can feel refreshed with the new student's eyes.

January 13, 2006

Late this afternoon I went to my flight school to do some paper works necessary to get the license. Checking through the PTR(Pilot Training Record) and the journey log book was a boring but happy work. After completing all the required documents with few mistakes, the chief instructor authorized my student pilot permit as the private pilot permit, which means I am a private pilot from now and I can fly whenever I like on VFR conditions with passengers. This is a great privilege. I'm looking forward to flying around BC coast area by myself after coming back from Japan this summer. I'm happy.

January 12, 2006

This morning I passed the flight test at last. Now I am a pilot, sure I'm happy but feel more relief. I don't have to worry about the weather for the flight test any more because I fly just for fun and I don't have to fly in bad weather conditions. One flight lesson costs around 200 bucks, it was just like a purse hole affecting my financial condition. Payment of more than 1,000 bucks a week was of course unhappy for me, but now I can fly on my pace. A private pilot can fly legally with passengers. It means that I can fly with my friends. It must be enjoyable to fly to unknown place with my friends, but I will fly solo to build more experience before flying with passengers. I'm also thinking about getting night rating and float rating. I become happy just by thinking about what to do this summer. I'm going back to Japan within a week and coming back to Vancouver this spring.

January 11, 2006

We have a lot of rainy days every winter in Vancouver, but the weather is abnormal this winter, so called record breaking freakish weather. Too long rainy days and too much rain. I still remember we had sunny days for more than 10 weeks running last summer. and for 3 weeks running last February. These rain might be the payment for the consecutive sunny days last year. I hope to escape from this rain as soon as possible, but before that I have to pass the flight test tomorrow. Of course rain is an obstacle for the test, but if I could fly, I believe I can pass this time, so I only hope the rain stops falling.